Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-07-13
A New Industry for Women.

A new industry tor women is beginning
to evolve itself in New York, which may
vet do much toward solving the vexed
servant girl question. Some three months
ago woman OF good old New DIRK fami-
| ", educated and capable, lett a widow
without money. and having savad no APP
premiership to any of the industries by
which women earn bread and butter,
began to think OF putting her pride in her
pocket and turning her notable house
heeping talents TO account by looking tor
service in family as cook.
| Considering the matter further, it &C.
Cured to her that she could do better,
Securing with some little effort, the pro-
| iect being a novel one, a clientage OF half
dozen families in her immediate neigh
| borhood that were grooming under dys-
pepsa, induced by Eight housekeeping, T"
,he began to send out, three times day,
delicatelv cooked and daintily served
meals. Her venture was so Immediately
| successful that she looked up New Eng
land housekeeper and couple of stout
armed Swedish girls to help her, and her
business sprapg, almost in a single night,
to the utmost dimensions that she could
| handle. Families that had tried the friz-
zled steak broiled by the green girl. fami
lies that were starving on meals elabor-
ated over the Pickering gas jet, families
that had eaten liable beard" in the base
ment dining,room around the corner.
families whose pocketbooks groaned at
the expense of the waiter-load sent in
| from hotel or restaurant. families whose
heads were business women without time
! tor cooking, families tired OF the annoy
ance of servants in small fiat, were glad
to be supplied with honest home cooking,
varied, palatable, and at reasonable
price.
She has twenty-one families on her list
! at present, think, 10 whom she supplies
lust that wholesome round of breakfasts,
lunches and dinners that the average
housemother would offer TO husband and
little folks. Fruit in season, in the morn
ing, oat meal or wheaton grits, fish, steak.
or chops; a side dish, such as stewed kid
neys. sausage, liver and bacon, eggs; cot
fee. tea or chocolate, bread and butter,
milk and sugar. Soup, fish, aroast, three
vegetables, dessert and coffee make up
the dinner, all OF which is sent out at a
cost of 81 week to a single person, 50
each for members of families, though AS
what is supplied for two is sufficient for
three. the cost per household is not
reckoned in multiples of that sum. In a
way the experiment is one in cooperative
housekeeping for, practically, the cost OF
everyday living is divided among num-
Der of families, purchases for all being
made together. the labor for all systemat-
lied and simplified, and the waste of all
mnimized, the result being that each
family saves nearly the full amount of its
cooks wages, and is freed from the
tyranny of Castle Garden besides.
Two other women, emulous of the first,
talk of starting similar enterprises. The
scheme is in its infancy, but whenever a
sufficient number of families within a ra-
dlus of block or two as near the great
fat houses. can be interested in it, it has
promise of an opening for an industry for
women and of relief from divers perplex.
tiles for The families they serve.-ELIzA
PUTNAM HEAroN, in Brooklyn Times.